Merchandise package



VJune 19, 1928. 1,673,956

A. B. STEWART MERCHANDISE PACKAGE Filed June 1'5, 1927 ATTORN EY Patented June 19, 1928.

N UNITED STATES 'PATENT omes- ALEXANDER BARNES STEWART, OF LOS ANGELES,` CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE i ALEXANDER B. STEWART ORGANIZATION, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, `A COR-V PORATION `OZF DELAWARE.

MERCHANDISE PACKAGE.

Y Application ined Jini@ i5, 192,7. 'serial Nu. `ieaoci.

This invention relates to merchandise packages, and has for its primary object the provision of means that will permit of the packing of a large numbei' of fragile inner containers within an outer container ofvcry minimum proportions so that a largenumber of the packages can be stored or arranged for transit within a. greatly restricted area, as compared to what has beenvpossible heretofore, and whereby, through a new and l novel scheme of nesting the inner containersrelatively and within the outer container, the more delicate portions ofthe respective inner containers are held outk of contact with each other, while the stronger or strain-resistingr portions of the said respective inner containers are in mutual contact where they will take up or absorb all serious jars and b strains that are thrust upon them.

A further object of the invention is to provide a merchandise package embodying novel inner containers peculiarly nested with respect to each other within an outer container, the latter havingcertain of its wallsin mutual contact with partsor` said inner containers so as to additionally secure the same against breakage in transit.

Other objects `and advantages will more clearly appear as the description proceeds.`

:o In the accompanyingdrawings,

Figui-e1 is-a diagrammatic plan view of the package showing the inner containers arranged in their intended order within the outer container; e .i

Figure E2 is a view similar to Figure 1 indicating by relative comparison the increase in area required when packing the inner containers according to known ways;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 1 -l1 of Figure 2, showing the caiited condition of one of the inner containers;

Figure 5 is a view ,similar to Figure 3 illustrating a slightly modified form ot the invention; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view ot a portion of the corrugated lining employed in connection with said modified form of the invention.

Specic reference is invited to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, whereinI ,showanl outer container 10 havinga bottom' l1, top .closure flaps V12-12 and vertical connecting wallsl. Said containerl is preferably constructed of corrugated paper board o1' well known form. It willbe observed that the said bottom 11 and saidl flaps 1,2-12are iny relative parallelism, and the purpose oit-"this arrangement will present itselffas the description goes forward.A f

Mounted within the outer container are' identical inner containersy 13, eachconsist# ing of a glassvor fragile body `which is ta` pered in its length, so that the large end occupies a position that vmay he Vdescribed asfthe normal top of the body. The sides of the body aie straight and at the small end oi` the body they ymerge into a *bottoni` o wall 14' through a( portion or joinder I15 whose thickness is greaterlthan any other portion of said body, giving to the bodyat the `normal base thereotan` annular reinforcement.'` i Y i V At the large end of each inner container is a cap or closure 16, the saine oiinedof lmetal y and provided with an offset `crown 17 and a crimped skirt 18. The skirt is an-" nular and same has angular portions'1919 which mutually detine at the vertex` a rel`a tively sharp ridge 20. Atdthis point, l it shouldbe observed that the length of` each e f of said `inner containers is equal to the dis- 'tance bounded by a line drawnfrointhe inner` face of the' bott-oni 11 to theinner i faces of the'flaps 12. In this manner, the flaps 12 and said bottom 11 come snugly and flatwise against the tops and the bottoms, respectively, of said inner containers. The flaps are of the type that can be held securely closed by an adhesive tape or the like, not shown. y

The outer container 10 can be of any selected size according to the number of inner containers to be mounted therein. An outer container that will accommodate two dozen of the inner containers is desirable. On reference to Figure 1 of the drawings, itis observed that the inner containers are disposed in transverse rows, each made up of four of said containers, and on further reference to said Figure 1 taken in connection with an observation of the showing, Figure 3, it is seen that the positions of the normal bottoms of the alternate containers are inverse to the order of the alternate normal tops of the remaining containers of the same row and that this relative order of the containers is also true with respect to the longitudinal or long rows (lf`igure l). Due to this peculiar method of' arranging or nesting the inner containers within said outer container, and the fact. that the containers are relatively co-extensive, it follows (Figure that the sharp ridges 20 of the respective inner containers bear laterally againsty the thick walled joinder portions 15 medially thereof. In this manner, I am able to hold the more delicate side walls of the container bodies in spaced apart. parallel relation where one wall cannot be thrust against another when the pack: ge is handled in transit. It will be further observed that the parallel bottom wall 1l and said top flaps 12 come tlatwise against the joinders 15 and the said crowns 17. In this manner, all side and end play of the inner containers is prevented and any thrust; against the respective container is taken up and arrested by the co-acting ridges 19 and said joinders 15. No protecting strips or cells are necessary for the inner containers and yet, and by virtue of the construction and arrangement herein shown and described, I am able to subject the package to the most violent shocks and jars without tear of breaking said containers, while at the same time allowing for a packing of a very Llarge number of the containers within an outer straightwalled container.

In Figure 5 and 6, the outer container is provided with a corrugated inner facing material 2l having tlared filler flutes 2Q that come into the correspondingly shaped spaces 23 between the extreme end rows of inner container and the extreme longitudinal rows of said container. This form can be resorted to when use is made otA long length inner containers. In the form shown in Figures l and 2, the inner containers are of short length and the filler material mentioned in the modified form of the invention is not al- \f'ays necessary.

One very decided advantage ot my invention over well known packages can be readily al'ipreciated on reference to Figures 2 and 4 ot the drawings. In Figure 2 the normal tops of the inncr containers are in the same general plane and in consequence thereol a large space is required wherein lo accommodate same. lVhen arranged in this manner. and provided the containers are not mounted within individual cells. a canting ot' one container causes it to he thrust against an adjacent container with such Yforce and impact as to cause breakage thereof, as indicated in Figure t.

I claim as my im'ention:

A merchandise package comprising an outer container. and a pluralityl of identical inner containers` the inner containers cach consisting of a straight tapered body open at its large end and provided at its small end with a bottom ljoined to the body walls by a portion whose thickness is greater than the thickness of any other part of the body, and a closure at the large end of each inner container, the closure having al peripheral ridge extending in a radial direction from said large end, the inner containers arrangedl` respectively, in transverse and longitudinal rows with the alternate containers positioned with their small ends up and in position with respect to the inversely positioned large ends of the adjacent containers so that the ridges of the closures thereof come in direct lateral contact with the thick joinders otl the small ends of said alternate containers, to maintain the body Valls of all ot' said containers in parallel spaced relation and to permit the end thrusts 'and shocks to be transmitted along parallel lines through the closures and bottoms` respectively, of said containers. the walls ol the outer container arranged in close contact with the said inner containers.

ALEXANDER BAHN F15 TEU/'Alti'. 

